One Last Chance
by oppugno
Summary: Ryan and Jenny are finally getting married.  After two failed marriages, how is Castle feeling?


**Personally, I'm very excited about how the Ryan/Jenny wedding will be handled. Because we have no idea **_**what **_**exactly is happening with this particular plot point, it gives us a lot of chance to have fun with the concept, but of course, after the explosive finale, we're all focused on the immediate aftermath. **

**This is a quick take on what **_**might **_**be going through Castle's mind at the wedding, although, it could just as easily go very differently. **

Richard Castle wanted this ceremony to go as quickly—and painlessly—as possible.

Everyone at the precinct had been visibly stressed in the past month, making final preparations for Ryan's wedding. The tension in the air had thickened with each day, and even he had felt the pressure, giving up on cracking jokes to break the ice long ago.

They still got along, they were a family after all, and this was something all families eventually went through. He just couldn't wait for it to be over with. Without the fun and lightness, it was hard to forget they were surrounded by murder.

Rick knew that if the ceremony went according to plan, the weight would be lifted, and everything would return to normal at the reception.

He also knew was that this was when everyone felt the nerves the most.

He knew that somewhere, Beckett was trying to hide the fact that she was freaking out from Jenny, who probably needed calming more than anyone else. There would likely be tears, and maybe even (oh, god, he hoped not) second guesses.

Up at the front of the chapel, he and Esposito were fidgeting. Their nerves, combined with their excitement, too much for them. Silence had fallen between them; both men letting their thoughts overcome them.

Castle glanced at Esposito and immediately recognized that he wasn't completely focused on the wedding at hand, but instead reconsidering something only the two men beside him knew about: the engagement ring he had purchased a couple of months ago for Lanie.

Next, he peered around Esposito to watch Ryan. His friend's eyes were shut tight as he shifted in place, mumbling something to himself. His back was stiff, shoulders tense, and he looked lost to the world. Maybe even a little green.

Richard Castle knew all too well what Ryan was going through, and he had absolutely no desire to be in his position.

That's when he started doubting himself. Did he really know what Ryan was experiencing? Sure, he had been married twice, and the first had given him the best thing in his life, but his marriages were different, and so were his weddings.

His two weddings had been large, extravagant, rushed events. As he surveyed the room in front of him, he saw that this one was smaller—close family and friends only—it was also much more tasteful.

However, that wasn't all. There was more...meaning. At the time, he had loved both Meredith and Gina, he truly had. But Castle had known Ryan a long time now, before Jenny was even in the picture. He had seen his transformation. The secret phone calls, how his face would light up when she texted him, the pride in his voice when he had introduced her to them. He helped with the engagement, saw it unfold in front of his eyes, and it all led up to this moment.

He heard the love in Ryan's voice when he talked about Jenny, saw it splashed across his face, and had seen how the two of them were together. They had a deep connection that made their love flourish, and Castle knew that these two were in it for the long run.

He had never been like that.

Richard Castle had been married twice, and both marriages seemed meaningless compared to the one about to take place. He had lost his chance at something real and true. His past experiences made him not want to take a third chance.

He was broken out of his trance when he heard the doors open, a little girl started walking down the aisle, and tried to pull his focus back to what mattered.

All hope of that was lost when Kate Beckett began her walk down the aisle. She was stunning, not that this came as a shock to him. There was just something about the way her fingers twitched around her bouquet, the way a bright and genuine smile was plastered on her face, and even the way her dress fit that made him react differently this time.

Maybe it was the setting, but Richard Castle had forgotten how to breathe.

Her eyes met his, her grin widened, and when he smiled back, forgetting everything else, that's when he knew that maybe there would still be a chance for him.

**Thanks so much for reading, definitely let me know what you think! **


End file.
